Perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Only 6 Ingredients

Perfectly soft and chewy easy oatmeal raisin cookie recipe with only 6 ingredients! Easy to put together and the recipe makes the best oatmeal cookies!

This post is overdue. These easy oatmeal cookies are long gone now and I’m just left here editing the photos and wishing I would have saved some. But the beauty of these babies is that they can be whipped together in minutes. Perfect for days like today when I’m not feeling well or any day really. An easy oatmeal cookie recipe created just for you to throw together in a pinch!

I’m not really sure where my fascination for cookies came from specifically. I know it all started about 4 years ago with an idea that became an obsession to create what was my perfect chocolate chip cookie. I think it was partly due to the fact that most cookies I ate were never quite as good as I hoped they would be. So I wanted to create recipes that lived up to my expectations. And this has been my mission for the past 4 years. It probably will not ever end.

And while my obsession for creating unique, over the top, and fancy cookie recipes is bigger than ever, I understand the need for simple classic recipes. I created the Simple 5 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Recipe a few months ago and it has become one of my most trafficked post. I think my notion of the “I need cookies in my mouth in less than 15 minutes” kind of recipe is a common need. So today I am bringing you my most simple Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe. The recipe at it’s core only needs 6 ingredients to produce a damn good cookie. There are a few other optional ingredients that will bring it up a notch if you have them available. I will break it down for you.

#1: Butter: I prefer good old fashioned unsalted butter and that is what I usually have on hand. If all you have is salted butter, margarine, shortening, or vegan butter, any of them will work. This is a “make it work” kind of recipe. I won’t put strict rules on it. But use real butter if you have it.

#2: Sugar: For the best results, use brown sugar, and preferably dark brown sugar. It will give the cookies the most depth of flavor and chew. However, if all you have is white sugar or regular brown sugar that will also work.

#3: Egg: a whole large egg is preferable, however egg beaters or Ener-G egg replacer will also work. This helps bind the cookies together and does some leavening.

#4: Flour: Good old all purpose flour is best, but bread flour, wheat flour, or self-rising flour will all work as well if they are what you have. For more information on flours, read this post.

#5: Oatmeal: Obviously.

#6: Raisins: Obviously.

-Optional Ingredients to enhance the flavor and texture (these aren’t absolutely necessary to get a decent cookie if you do not have them on hand or the time to add extras):

Cinnamon, Vanilla, Salt, Baking Powder, Bourbon or Spiced Rum

I think I have finally crossed the line over to preferring oatmeal raisin cookies over chocolate chip cookies. I never really liked oatmeal raisin cookies until I started baking a lot of cookies myself. Soaking the raisins in spiced rum or bourbon before baking them was one of the things that really started pulling me across the line. I often do not have time to do this if I haven’t planned ahead enough before baking, and even so I am now preferring oatmeal raisin to chocolate chip. I hope you enjoy this simplified version of the classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookie and check out the 5 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies as well!

Sitting in a coffee shop reading this and desperate to get home to try them out! They look awesome. Going to add some almonds and cranberry too. Question- how to you get such perfect mounds of cookie dough?

I baked one tester at 350 for 9 minutes. It wasn't ready. I baked it for three more minutes. Not ready. Two more minutes and it still wasn't cooked and my oven is working just fine. I'm going to adjust the temperature and the time.

Paul Misseghers I lived in Philadelphia at the time when I wrote this recipe. It does depend on altitude, and Winnipeg is a higher altitude and Philadelphia, but it can also depend on if your oven is cooking at the correct temperature and how large you make the cookies. I'm glad it is working for you now! I find that it is common to think the cookies look underbaked when pulling them out of the oven. They will keep cooking for a few minutes after removed and this is how you keep them chewy and perfect. Unless you like a crunchier cookie, then you can leave them in the oven until the look done.

These were great! I needed a quick recipe for my boss' birthday tomorrow. Oatmeal raisin cookies are her favorite! This was fast and easy and they're extra delicious. Managed to get the entire batch done during the same time as I was cooking supper. (I might have sampled a couple.) Thanks so much for posting!

OMG.. Love these cookies!!! My only change was switching the sugar to 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar. Made them while I was making breakfast yesterday and I only have 2 left! My house is starting to prefer these to chocolate chip too.

I made these tonight – I did a half shortening, half margarine… (out of my beloved butter) a full tablespoon of Vanilla, some really roasted slivered almonds ( did a rough chop in my spice grinder) and a 1/2 cup of Craisins – WE ARE IN LOVE!!! – THANK YOU!

Okay so I made these last night and I wanted to post as soon as they came out of the oven but I was in a cookie coma. these were absolutely delicious, my family loved them! My adjustments were I used light brown sugar instead of dark and I used vanilla and added dark chocolate pieces and i also used baking soda. I made about 18 big cookies and they were amaze balls. Can’t wait to try more recipes and just in time for the holidays.

I made this for the first time just now, and they're great. I used instant oats and omitted the raisins, used the optional ingredients. I live in Montana at 3200 feet elevation, and after 12 minutes they were baked to perfection for the size I made them. Thanks for this great recipe.

I just got my otg yesterday and wanted to try out a simple cookie. I have never baked in my life and neither anyone in the family. So this was something of an experiment. I substituted unsalted butter with salted one coz that’s what I had at home and the shops were not open yet. I found this recipe online and found it very simple and easy. I tried it and voila, I made my first set of cookies today. It was yummy too. I really didn’t follow the recipe coz I didn’t have a measuring cup, but still it came out fine. Thank a ton for this wonderful recipe which did instill in me the courage and urge to bake more

I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you also gave vegan options that will work! My biggest problem when converting recipes to vegan is not knowing if the vegan version, like Ener G Egg will do the job a real egg does for the recipe. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

What kind of sugar did you use? If you used light brown sugar or regular granulated sugar that could be the difference in color. As far as the batter being dry it could just be where you live or the way you measured your flour. It is easy to accidentally pack too much flour in the measuring cups. Always feel free to add a TBSP or two of milk or water if you cookie batter is too dry.

Hi Bettie! Thanks for your response you’re so kind. As you suggested and I figured out afterwards, the white sugar is to blame for the light cookies. Btw, this recipe is perfectly delicious. Thanks for sharing!!!

Thanks for this great recipe! I’ve made dozens of these with different variations like, cranberries, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and also cocoa powder and almonds!! The list could be endless!!!

I’m so glad it has been working out for you Melissa! I love all of your variations. That is what I love about cookies. You can take 1 base recipe and make endless flavor combinations with it. Merry Christmas to you too!

I am sorry but these are the worst cookies I have ever tasted. far too much flour, not enough eggs and butter.
and the baking time was all off.. they had no flavor and are ere very dry. I said I am sorry, but this is the truth. you should adjust this recipe.

I’m sorry the cookies didn’t work out for you. This is actually a tested recipe that has worked well for numerous other bakers. The ratios of flour to butter and egg is very standard for basic cookie recipes. I’m wondering where you live and if this affected how much flour was in your batter? I recently found out that measuring cups in other countries are bigger than American measuring cups. If you are using american measuring cups, make sure that you are lightly spooning the flour in and then leveling off, making sure not to pack the flour down in. I will edit the recipe to include weight measurements for those people who do have a digital scale. That is always the most accurate way to measure. Hope you have a Happy New Year!

Please refer to this article about how to measure flour correctly. If it was measured correctly there will not be too much flour in the recipe. It is easy to over measure flour. http://bakerbettie.com/how-to-measure-flour/

Cookies turned out great! I used the cinnamon, vanilla and a sprinkle of salt on the top. After 9 minutes they were the soft texture I like my cookies to be. Used left-over golden raisins I had from Christmas. Great recipe!

i actually just made these. im vegan so used egg replacer. i added everything except the salt and baking powder and used a full tbsp of vanilla instead of half and just soaked the raisins in water for about 25 mins and the cookies turned out awesome!! thank you for this wonderful recipe BakerBettie

i actually just made these. im vegan so used egg replacer. i added everything except the salt and baking powder and used a full tbsp of vanilla and full tsp of cinnamon instead of half and just soaked the raisins in water for about 25 mins and the cookies turned out awesome!! thank you for this wonderful recipe BakerBettie

I made these yesterday and subbed a 1/2 cup of large chocolate chips for the raisins and a stick of margarine, because it was what I had on-hand. Brought them in to share with my co-workers and they’re a hit! They want seconds tomorrow! Thanks a bunch!! (:

Just made these beauties and I was skeptical taking them out of the oven when they didn’t look done. I love them!!!!!! The real test is my son who is coming over soon. He loves my oatmeal raisin cookies. I have used the same recipe for over 30 years and he brags on them. I don’t know, I just might switch to your now. I will keep you posted about my son’s rating of this recipe.

Hi Emma. I’m a little confused about your comment. Rolled Oats are just one of the forms of oats that we refer to as oatmeal or use to make the porridge we call oatmeal. Oatmeal refers to (at least in the states) any kind of ground oats and can be steel cut oats, crushed oats, rolled oats, quick oats. It is a general words used for referring to the ground oat groats used to make porridge. “Oatmeal Raisin Cookies” is a very common name for a very common cookie (at least in the states) made with raisins and rolled oats. The reason I specify “rolled oats” is because this cannot be made with the cooked porridge and it cannot be made with steel cut oats. Does that make sense?!

I made these yesterday. I left out the raisins as we're not raisin fans. I did add the vanilla, cinnamon & baking powder. They were still super simple & quick to make. I got 2 dozen large, delicious cookies. My fiancé has commented several times that these take him back to visits to his Gram's house as a little boy. He keeps saying, "They're just like my Gram's". They are now all gone. Thank you!

Just made these and they're sooo good! I made a couple changes, though: I used about a third cup of whole wheat flour; my husband and I don't like raisins so I replaced them with slivered almonds, white chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chips; and I dipped the dough balls in a mixture of Kosher salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. They came out chewy and gooey and delicious! Thanks for a dynamite recipe!

If I leave out the baking powder will it still rise a bit or be flat? Also, can I freeze the dough (freeze uncooked for later use so that I have some for later in the middle of the night or early in the morning when I have a cookie craving). The cookies sound yummy

Hi Katherine! The cookies in the pictures were made with only the 6 ingredients listed necessary. So they were made without baking powder and that is how tall they turn out for me! One trick you can always do to keep them tall is to scoop the dough and then let the mounds chill for some time before baking. If I do this, I usually put the whole cookie sheet in the freezer for about 5 minutes before baking. This will allow the cookie to set before spreading out keeping your cookies really nice and thick!

This recipe sux donkey balls, after mixing the wet and dry ingredients i had a bowl full of crumbs, wouldn't form into any type of cookie, had to add in other things like honey to give some consistency to be able to form anything to put on the cookie sheet…

Hi Kevin! I'm sorry it didn't work out for you but this is a tested recipe so I would love to help troubleshoot! It sounds like you had too much flour in your batter. Make sure to fluff up your flour and lightly spoon it into your measuring cups and then level it off. Do not pack it down! this is a common error in measuring flour. If you have a kitchen scale, it would be even better to weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour should weight about 4.5 oz. So for this recipe you need about 5 oz of flour, or 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons. Hope that helps!

I found this simple recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies and immediately I knew I had to try it. I am not an expert when it comes to baking so I followed the ingredients and baking instructions as precise as possible. The end product made these cookies the best oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever had.

Just made these (batch 2 in oven now!). Used light brown sugar, sultanas soaked in brandy and salted butter as that's what I had in, with 1tsp of vanilla extract and 3/4tsp of cinnamon. I first thought the mixture looked a bit too dry so I added a couple of tsp of the drained brandy and they came out perfect, better than shop bought!
Will definitely be trying your other recipes xx

I really felt like something sweet and simple and it was around 10:00 pm here in Australia, I came across your recipe and made it and it was perfect ! My husband who does not like raisins loved this cookie recipe will definitely make again.
Thank you !

i tried these Cookies and they are sooo good and its very easy and quick to throw together perfect for when u have a craving that just cant wait lol i also tried it with coconut flavor and chocolate chips instead of vanilla and raisins and they were to die for!!! Love the cookies and the versatility of it thanks for sharing it with us.

Hi. I want to try this recipe and i will just use an oven toaster (beginner). And the max temp thatbit has is 250F. It says in te recipe that it should be preheated in 350F. How do i alter this? And rolledd oats?? Is it just the ordinary oats we buy in the market?

These are probably the best cookies I’ve ever had. I use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, and I use 2/3 cup sugar instead of 1 cup (2/3 is the perfect amount). I also add chunks of 86% dark chocolate. After cooling, I gobbled up around 6 of these before my wife made me stop.

I made them on Friday and really enjoyed them. I made half regular and the other half i added almond and espresso paste to them and They were such a big hit!!!!! Easy to follow recipes and will be part of my family recipe book for ever! Ty.

i made these cookies in 15 minutes (including the baking time which was 10 minutes). They are DELICIOUS and the best part is that you can change the recipe here and there (like if you want less sugar or less oil like i do). I love how you explained the point of each ingredient at the beginning rather than making me follow a recipe blindly (which i hate doing and never end up doing by the way)

I tried these cookies last night, wish I would have used a little less sugar and did not add any raisins…. but, I did combine some cinnamon and Tahitian vanilla powder, yummy, the taste was out of this world. I was forced to add more oats and flour as the dough was really loose. these cookies turned out more like cookie bars from spreading across the baking sheet, but, they taste awesome. I think maybe I just added a little baking soda instead of baking powder, next time. Thanks.

Sounds like an elevation problem Diana! Do you live at high elevation? You can also try to pop the baking sheet with the dough mounds on it in the freezer for about 5 minutes before going into the oven. This also helps keep them taller. And yes, you can reduce the sugar if desired by 1/4 cup. If you do decide to use baking soda instead of powder make sure you are using dark brown sugar. You need the acidity from the molasses to activate it.

Didn’t soak the raisins, had salted butter, and ALWAY at least double the vanilla of every recipe because I’m obsessed. Tasty batter! they’re still in the over.. already double the cook time. Maybe I mad them too chubby? lol Update soon.

Was just about to sit down with the hubby to indulge in some “Orange is the New Black” when he randomly stated, “man, I wish we had some oatmeal raisin cookies!” A google search led me here, and 20 minutes later we had the most delicious cookies! We followed the recipe as written, minus the soaking of the raisins. Will be trying that next time. Baked for 8 mins and turned out perfect! Glad I found your site, thanks for sharing!

So glad they worked out for you Dee! One thing you can do to quick soak the raisins is to heat up the liquid and toss the raisins in and let them soak for 5-10 minutes. I think the texture is better if you let them soak in room temp liquid over night, but this definitely works too if you want them in a hurry!

I just made these cookies(06/30/14), I used the baking powder, vanilla, and cinnamon. I baked mine for 15 minutes. They were awesome. Now I have the chocolate chip cookies baking. So easy, so delicious. Thanks for the great recipes.

Hi Margy! As the recipe states, if you want to soak your raisins you just put them in the liquid for at least 6 and up to 12 hours. Do this at room temperature. I just do it the night before I’m going to make the cookies. If you want to do it faster you can heat up the liquid and then put the raisins in for about 10 minutes. This works okay, but I think the texture of the raisins are better if you do it for the longer period of time at room temp.

Just made these and they turned out perfect. Think I might use less sugar next time so my daughter can enjoy them with me ( sweets + toddler = squirrel with ADD). Overall though, awesome, easy recipe. Thanks for posting:)

Awesome recipe. They take a little longer in the oven (wouldn’t doubt if it was my crappy oven), but I love them! I used Craisins instead because I have a lot of them and plus I don’t really like raisins. Great recipe, especially since I don’t usually have stuff that other recipes require. Would love to see more of your recipes!

Hi, i was wondering if anyone else had troble with this recipe, i made these today and they came out very dry i had to give them to the crow’s. anyone tell me where i went wrong please or what i can do to make this a better recipe.

Hi Steph! That definitely sounds like you had too much flour in your batter. This can easily happen depending on where you live and the climate, as well as the way you measure your flour. I would suggest reading this post: http://bakerbettie.com/how-to-measure-flour/ And then when you make the cookies leave out about 2 tbsp and see how the dough feels. If it is very wet, then you can add in the rest of the flour. If it feels like the right consistency, then go ahead and bake them. Also make very sure that you do not mix for very long after the flour is added. This can make them tough and dry as well. Mix just unitl incoroporated then stop.

I’m in trouble. The vast majority of recipes I try to halve and quarter wind up being failures … I managed to quarter this recipe, skip the egg, the baking soda, the raisin soaking and added some balkan yoghurt by eye/feel as a replacement for the egg plus added extra oats (1/2 cup instead of a 1/3 cup). My only complaint is, “why didn’t I use more cinnamon?”

I typically give over a sacrificial first batch to the oven because most of the time oven temps are never spot on; ovens be fickle beasts. My brand spankin’ new oven undercooked them a bit at 10 minutes. One TBSP dough per cookie btw.

I was craving something sweet so I just made these. I substituted whole wheat flour for the unbleached, coconut oil for the butter, and coconut palm sugar for the regular sugar. Oh, and also chocolate chips for the raisins! Alot of switches!!! I didn’t anticipate the amount of sweetness the chips would add, so they were a little too sweet. Next time I’ll try it with maybe half the sugar. They were, however delicious and I quickly scarfed down two of them with a glass of milk!

I was a little skeptical of this recipe at first (it really just seemed almost too simple!), but they turned out surprisingly well! I have always been a fan of oatmeal cookies, more than chocolate chip or sugar drop, and I like how this recipe is so quick and convenient. I made one alteration, I added orange rind which usually turns out super, but this time added too much. Will try soaking the raisins in rum next time.

Just made these with my daughter for a club she is in. OMG they are amazing. We followed the recipe for the most part. Used granulated sugar and quick oats as that is what we have on had. Also added nutmeg. They taste just like my grandmas. Thank you so much for a super simple recipe. We will definitely be making these again!!!

I’ve made these twice now, once with chocolate chips for my sister (she doesn’t like raisins in her oatmeal cookies…) and for Christmas, with chocolate chips, with raisins and plain. I like the raisin ones the best, my family liked the chocolate ones best (once again, heathens who don;t like raisins in cookies). My sister liked them so much that she demanded I make them again for her birthday! So thank you, this recipe will be my go-to oatmeal recipe for years to come!
(i’ve also used margarine instead of butter.. i’m a poor college student. and i’ve slightly melted it in the microwave, so that i could just stir the sugar in, which worked great! I’ve made them with and without baking powder, and they turned out great both times, maybe they were a little bit poofier with the baking powder, but if you don’t have any it won’t make that big of a difference)

Just made these with my children….Most Delicious and easiest oatmeal cookies we ever made… I decreased brown sugar a little and did in fact use salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. We also added pecans. I did use fresh ground soft wheat flour – not white flour. Also I did increase cooking time by a few minutes . Next time I will try to sub sucanat for brown sugar to see how the results change.
My 12 year old had me copy this recipe for her and will actually be making these herself -start to finish -from now on!
Thank you for this easy and yummy recipe- wholesome and chewy!